Packaging



' April 1944- D. R. LA PLACE I ,3

PACKAGING I Filed A ril 9, 1941 ZSheets-Sheef 1 INVENTOR Desmond I?laP/ate 7 MamG/fid/awd Patented Apr. 11, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE PACKAGING Desmond R.

ration of Delaware La Place, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to BocjlCorporation, Pittsburgh, Pa.,

Application April 9, 1941, Serial No. 387,562

2 Claims.

cartons by the use of staples. -While the conventional staple is verysatisfactory under many conditions for closing such cartons, some meanshas to be provided for clinching the points of the staples after theyhave been driven through the overlapping lifts. Heretofore this hasrequired constructing thecarton in such a manner that a thin anvil couldbe inserted under the flaps, the staples driven against this anvil, andthe anvil then Withdrawn. Obviously the withdrawing of the anvil leavesan opening so that such cartons if used for the shipment of a loosegranular material are not completely tight. It has also been proposed toclose the cartons by the use of staples which are driven through theoverlapping lifts 0f the carton and which are clinched by somemanipulation of the top or the legs of the staple after the staple hasbeen set. This is satisfactory where it is permissible to have thepoints of the staple project down into the box. However, in many casesthe points of the staple are likely to injure the packages ofcommodities or other articles contained within the carton.

The present invention pertains to a carton and method of closing thecarton by means of conventional staples which avoids the difiicultiesabove-mentioned. According to the present invention, means is attachedto the inner face of the innermost lift of the container whichconstitutes a permanent anvil. This means is applied to the cartonpreferably during the manufacture of the carton but in all cases beforethe carton is finally sealed, and is preferably stapled or otherwisefirmly secured in place. When the carton is closed staples are driveninto it in the usual manner but the positioning of the staples ispredetermined so that the points of the staple; upon passing through theinnermost lift, engage said attached means and turn the points of thestaples, thus simultaneously clinching them and preventing them frominjuring any of the contents of the box. This means may comprise asuitably constructed thin strip of metal stapled in place or havingprongs or legs by means of which it is attached to the underside of thelift of thebox. Alternatively, it may comprise suitably positionedindividual elements such as large staples against Which the securingstaples are in turn driven. My invention may be more fully understood byreference to the accompanying drawings in which f Figure l is aperspective view of a carton prepared in accordance with the presentinvention, one of the end flaps being shown folded inwardly and one ofthem being shown folded outwardly, the side flaps being open; j

Figure 2 is a transverse section in the plane of line II-II of Figure 1,but on a larger scale;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the side flaps closedin and with the top staple in position to be driven;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 showing the top staple completelydriven;

Figure'5 is a perspective viewof the carton or package when completed;

Figure 6 is a'perspective view showing a modification in whichindividual staples are used in place of a continuous strip as shown inFigure 1;

Figure 7, is a section similar to Figure 2 illustrating a modificationof Figure 6;

Figure 8 is aview similar to Figure 4 with the top staple completelydriven; and

Figure 9 is a perspectiveview of a modified form of strip for use inconstructing the package in the manner illustrated in Figure 1.

In the drawings, 2 designates a carton of any known or preferredconstruction made from pasteboard, laminated paper or corrugated paperor the like. It has longitudinally extending side flaps or lifts 3 andinwardly folding end flaps or lifts ,4. In the particular boxillustrated the flaps 4 are first folded inwardly and then the flaps 3are folded in overthe top of them. The flaps 3, when they are folded in,meet or almost meet along the longitudinal center line of the box. v

' In accordance with the present invention, a thin metal stripdesignated generally as 5 having perforated edge'portions 6 and a bowedcentral portion 1 is secured to the underside of each flap 4. In theparticular construction illustrated the strip 5 is secured to theunderside of the fiap 4 by small wire staples 8 which are driven throughthe perforated flanges or edges 6 of the strip. It iscontemplated thatthe strip 5 be secured to the flaps 4, either during the manufacture ofthe box or at the time that the box is prepared for use.

When the strip 5 has been applied to the flaps and the carton has beenfilled and the package is to be sealed, the flaps 4 are folded inwardly.The flaps 3 are then folded in to overlap the flaps 4. Staples are thendriven into the carton so as to fasten the flaps 3 to the flaps 4. Thesestaples, designated 9, are driven as shown in Figure so that the bridgeportion of the staples straddles the line defined by the meeting edgesof'the two flaps or lifts 3, one leg of each staple passing through oneedge of one of the two lifts and the other leg passing through the edgeof the other lift. In this way the staples are positioned symmetricallyover the strip 5;

The width of the staples, i. e., the spread from the one leg to theother, is less than the full width of the strip 5 and is just about aswide as the bowed portion 1 of the strip. Figure 3 illustrates therelation in which the staple isoriginally positioned with respect to thestrip. When the staple is driven in the usual way the points of thestaple pass throughthe overlapping lifts, strike the concaved inner faceof the portion 7 of the strip, and are thereb turned in toward eachother; clinching the staple as it is being driven, as shown in Figure 4.

While the strips 5 are disclosed as being positioned along the centerline of the carton or package, it is apparent that these strips could bepositioned otherwise on the fiaps4 or on the carton, depending uponwhether it was desirable to locate the staples 9 and how many of suchstaples are to'be' used.

Instead'of the strip 5 being secured to the inner faces of the end liftsby separate staples 8,

it is contemplated that the strips 5 may have some kind of integralsecuring means as shown, for example, in Figure 9. In this figure l0designates a strip similar in cross-section to the strip 5 but havinintegral prongs ll thereon which are adapted to pass through the lift towhich the strip is secured and which are clinched on the opposite sideof the lift. I

Also instead of the means for turnin the staple being in the form of astrip, such means may comprise appropriately located individual membersspottedfat various locations over the inner face of the underlying liftor flap This is shown, for example, in Figures 6, 7 and 8. According tothis modification relatively heavy staples l2 are driven by aconventional stapling tool or in r any appropriate manner into theunderface of the inner lifts 4 at predetermined points, the legs of thestaples being clinched on the reverse side of the lifts'into which theyare driven. 1 When these staples l2 have been thus spotted on the innerlifts and the carton is read to be sealed, the overlappinglift's arefolded in and staples of a slightly smaller dimension are driven throughfrom the outside of the carton in such manner that when the pointspenetrate the two lifts'they will strike. against the staple I2 and thusbe turned. This is clearly shown in Figure 8 where the staple l3 hasbeen driven from the outside of the package through the two overlappinglifts and the inne'rend portionslta have been defiected and bentinwardly by engagement with the bridge ofthestaple l2. Where the-packageor carton is closed according to this modification it is contemplatedthat some kind of depression or marking would be formed on the carton soas to predetermine the points where the staples l2 and I3 are to bedriven, thus enabling the operator to be sure, in driving the staplesl3, that they will engage the staple l2. Without some predeterminedpattern it would otherwise be diflicult to properly locate the staplesI3 with reference to the staples l2. Such a mark is indicated at [3b inFigure 6. Such markings may also be used, if desirable, with themodification shown in Figure ,1, although they are relativelylessnecessary where the anvil is continuous.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that my inventioninvolves certain novel improvements in the art Of packaging whereinconventional staples are driven into the carton or exterior of thepackage when the package is to be sealed without requiring any specialtools and without requiring the insertion of any anvil through the wallsof the box or under any of the flaps, the turning or clinching of thestaples being effected entirely by means permanentl attached to the.interior of the box. The camming oranvil strips or stapleswhich are usedto turn the points of the fastening taples can be provided at verylittle cost. It will also be seen that through the use of the inventionthe lifts or naps of the cartons may be secured by staples which passcompletely through the overlapping lifts and which are clinched againstthe inner face of the innermost li-ft. However at no time can the legsof the staple penetrateand damage any of the'goods within the carton.The use of the strips or staples on the under face of the inner lifts toturn and clinch the points of'the securing staples also aids in the boxbein tight/'- ly stapled. This-is because the clinchin 'of'the legs ofthe staple by contact with theunderlying camming means tends to draw theoverlapping lifts together.

While I have illustrated certain specific em:- bodiments of my.invention it will be understood that this is merely by way ofillustration :and that various changes and modifications may be madetherein within the contemplation ofmyxirrvention and under the scope ofthe appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A package comprising a carton having over-- lapping lifts, an anvilmember comprising an elongated strip of metal permanently attached tothe inner face of an underlying lift, and staples entered through anoverlyin lift havin the ends thereof driven against and clinched bycontact with said strip, said strip having means along the edges thereoffor permanently attaching it to the lift to which it is secured andhaving an intermediate portion which is concaved with respect to thedirection in which the'staples are driven for turning the points of thestaple in wardly toward each other. I

2. A stapled package comprising a, cartonhaving overlappingportionswhich are to be stapled, the outside portion forming the overlaphaving a plurality of staples driven therethrough and pass ing throughan underlyin portion, said under lying portion having a strip-likeanvil-element permanently attached thereto against which the points ofsaid staples are turned, said strip being substantially coextensive withone dimension of the lift to which itis attached and constituting astiffening element therefor.

DESMOND R. LA PLACE.

